Ty Cobb

Ty Cobb was a professional baseball player who manned center-field for 22 years as a Detroit Tiger. He completed the final 2 years of a 24 year career with the Philadelphia Athletics, playing his last game on September 11, 1928, a couple months prior to his 42nd birthday. On a few occasions, Cobb also saw action at 1B, 2B, 3B and even pitcher. A record holder in many categories, he is considered one of the greatest, and fiercest competitors to play the game.

Ty hit better than .300 in 23 of his 24 years in Major League Baseball. As a rookie with the Tigers he hit .240, when he came to the plate only 150 times. He then went on to win the American League "Batting Championship"" 11 times, and on 3 separate occasions hit better than .400. He also finished runner-up 4 times.

Ty was born in Narrows, Georgia on December 18, 1886. He attended Franklin Country High School in Royston, Georgia and made his major league debut on August 30, 1905. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame by BBWAA as Player in 1936 (222/226 ballots).http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/cobbty01.shtml?redir on July 17, 1961 he passed away in Atlanta, Georgia and was buried in Royston, Georgia at Rose Hill Cemetery.

There are a lot of rumors, some substantiated concerning Cobb. After retiring and a few years before his death, in 1959, he was asked the question why he thought he would hit only .300 now. His reply, "Because I'm 73 years old.http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0167821/bio Another was that one of his former teammates was inducted into the Hall of Fame, Cobb showed up and purchased a suit for him because he was broke.

Tyrus Raymond Cobb was known as a hard negotiator and his contract proceedings were well known. He also was a shrewd businessman and invested heavily in Coca Cola and other ventures. When he died in 1961, his estate was worth approximately $12 million, $10 million in General Motors Stock, and nearly $2 million in Coca-Cola stock.http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0167821/bio

There has always been an argument over who the best player was in the history of Baseball. For most it came down to Ruth or Cobb. There have been movies made chronicling the lives of both, as well as portrayals of their characters in similar type productions.

Born into a turbulent Georgia family in 1886, Cobb began playing baseball at an early age. In 1905, three weeks before he began playing centerfield for the Detroit Tigers, his mother shot and killed his father as he climbed into their bedroom window, believing him to be an intruder. He had told her he would be away for a few days on business. In later years, Ty came to believe that his father was trying to catch his mother committing adultery and she killed him.

The following season, Cobb, in limited playing time, hit .316, and never finished a season under .323 for the remainder of his career. He won the American League Most Valuable Player Award in 1911, batted over .400 three times, won the batting title eleven times, led the American League in hits eight times, led the AL in runs scored five times, and even led the AL in home runs once (although he hit only nine.) He set over 90 records during his career, including highest career batting average (.367) and most career batting titles (11), both of which still stand today and will probably never be broken. Cobb also finished second 4 times for the Batting Championship, and in 1909, he won the "Triple Crown".

Upon his retirement, he possessed the record for most career hits, with 4,189; this record would stand until 1985, when Pete Rose passed Cobb on the list. Cobb was known in baseball as an ornery and temperamental competitor who would do anything to win.

In 1936, he was inducted into the "Baseball Hall of Fame". When Ty died, it is reported that only 4 of his former teammates attended his funeral. He was also at ends with his family and did not get along with his children. Upon his death, his estate was estimated at better than 14 million dollars. He left 25% of it to education and the rest to his family. Cobb loved to drink and gamble and enjoyed his gambits to Vegas.

Upon his death, Cobb was interred at Rose Hill Cemetery in Hart County, Georgia in a family mausoleum. During the later years of his life he would visit the vault frequently and, according to his biographer, during long drinking binges would sleep there.

Ty is also the author of three books: 1914 Busting 'Em 1925 Memoirs of Twenty Years in Baseball 1961 My Life in Baseball.http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0167821/bio

During his career, Ty accumulated a boat load of records and awards. Some of his records still remain, while others have been broken.

1905 Season

Ty made his Major League debut on August 30, 1905 with the Detroit Tigers and remained playing there until 1926. He was purchased from Augusta (South Atlantic) on or about August 24th. Less than a month before his Major League debut, Cobb's father had been shot and killed by his mother, when according to reports she had caught him climbing in the bedroom window and thought he was a burglar. Rumors abounded that he had been trying to catch his wife committing adultery and she had murdered him. Cobb later took this point of view himself. During his rookie season, Ty hit .240 in 150 at bats. That was the last time in his 24 year career that he would hit below .316. He also hit his first home run and stole his first 2 bases during that campaign.

1906 Season

Cobb played in 98 games and hit .316. He also had 15 doubles, 5 triples and 1 home run. Ty scored 45 runs and drove in 34. He also added 23 stolen bases to his career total giving him 25.

1907 Season

He led the league in hits 212, RBIs 119, stolen bases 53 and batting average .350. He won his first of eleven batting championships.

1908 Season

Ty led the league in hits, doubles, triples, RBIs, and once again won the batting championship with a .324 batting average. He also contributed 39 stolen bases to the Tiger attack.

1909 Season

For a 3rd consecutive season Cobb won the American League batting Championship, He hit a career high .377 which turned out to be just a preview of thinks to come. He also led the league in runs scored, hits, RBIs, Home Runs 9 and stolen bases 76. He was named the winner of the "Triple Crown". Take note also that Ty played in the dead ball era and winning the Home Run Championship with 9 was more the norm than the exception.

1910 through 1928 Seasons

Ty Cobb won another 8 batting championships and also finished second 4 times. He also hit over .400 on 3 separate occasions. In 1915 he stole 96 bases, a record which stood until being broken in the Modern era of baseball. Ty finished his playing career with 897 stolen bases, 117 Home Runs, a lifetime .367 Batting Average and 1,938 RBIs. He also scored 2,246 runs and appeared in 3,034 games. When he retired, he owned 90 records. During his playing career he finished first statistically 141 times in a variety of categories. His .367 batting average still ranks as the highest in the history of baseball and his 4.189 hits stands second behind Pete Rose. From 1921 - 1926 he served as player manager for the Detroit Tigers. He was released after 1926 and finished his career with the Philadelphia Athletics. In his final year, Ty hit .323 but saw action in only 95 games.

1936

Cobb was inducted into the Hall of Fame by BBWAA as Player in 1936 (222/226 ballots). He is recognized by many baseball historians as the first inductee into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/cobbty01.shtml#trans